Game



Dec. 31, 1929. s FARRELL 1,741,832

GAME

Filed May 1, 929

ENTRANCE FEES RED DICEYRUNNEHS WHITE DICE RUNNERS LANE A 8 LANE A- 4 B 4B g C 6 C J D 2 D I CLUB all

NAM E NUMBER OF TURNS OF FQR 'IMIR IN VENT OR Y BREAK IN 5TRIDE DEDUCTTWO FROM NEXT 0 BEAT GUN"ALL 5TART OVER- THIS RUNNER SET BACK ONE YARDatented Dec. 31, 1929 B IDNEY '1. FARRELL, OF NEWTQNVILLE, HASSAOHUBETTBGAME Application filed May 1, 1829. Serial No. 859,645.

. This invention relates to indoor gamesand more especially to thosebased on racing and involving an element of chance.

Most, if not all, of the racing games of this 8 type are open to theobjection that the hrst racer to start has a substantial advantage andwith an even break in luck will usually finish first. The playersnecessarily take turns, and consequently the last player to start hasonly it a small chance of winning.

The present invention deals particularly with this condition, and itaims to devise a racing game in which all of the players Wlll haveapproximately an even chance. In the referred embodiment of theinvention this is accomplished by running the race on a time basis, eachmove on the game board or chart representing a given unit of elapsedtime.

The invention may be embodied in a great W variety of racing games, butfor purposes of disclosure the invention will be herein described asembodied in a game based on a hundred yard dash.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, anclzghe novel features will be particularly poin ed out inthe appendedclaims.

In the drawin s,

Fi ure 1 is a plan view of a chart embodying eatures of this invention;

. ig. 2 is a plan view of a chart of entrance fees;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a score card; Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofdice which may be used in playing the game; and

Iiigs. 5 and 6 are lan views of markers and chips, respective y. whichmay also be used in the game.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the chart there shown represents a racecourse divided lon i tudinally into four lanes indicated at A fiB, C andD, respectively. The course also is divided by transverse lines intospaces, which in this case represent yards of distance;

.Numbers are associated with the lines to indicate the distance fromthe. start so that the dicated. Those figures on the opposite margins 2and 3 of the chart designate the ten yard intervals, and these figurespreferably face in opposite directions, while additional figures locatedin aisles 4, 5 and 6 between the lanes designate the intermediate yardintervals. Preferably the figures in the aisle 4 point toward the left,those in the aisle 6 toward the right, and those in the middle aisle 5toward the bottom of the chart in order to facilitate the reading of thefigures by the difi'erent players.

In a hundred yard dash the drive for the, finish occurs in the last tenor twelve yards and corresponds to what may be termed the home stretchor the last lap in some other races. For convenience this part of thecourse will be hereinafter referred to generically as the. home stretchin order to distinguish it from the main part of the course.

In the chart shown the home stretch is divided into twelve equal spacesand a time designation is associated with each division line or eachspace, the figure in each s ace indicating in hundredths of a second tietime assigned to the runner to reach the finish line from the line at tlerhottom of the respective space in which the" gure appears. Roughly thetime required to cover this twelve yards of home stretch isapproximately one second, and the. times assigned in the difl'erentlanes varies somewhat, as will be obvious from an inspection ofthechart. For example, it will u be observed that the time designationsin the home stretch of lane A are smaller than those for correspondingdistances in any of the other lanes. Those in lane D are, longer than inany other lane, and those'in lanes B and C are intermediate in value.This variation in the time designations in the different lanesobviously. make some lanes more favorable for the runners than others.Certain penalties or set backs also are included in some or all of thelanes. For example, the circles 7 in the lanes. A and O designate abreak in stride for which two yards are deducted from 9:

the runners distance, while the diamonds 8 in lanes B and D indicatethat the runner has beat the un and will be enalized one, h h 9 ro ressof the racer can be measured and ms... ard on the new start.

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determined or originate in various ways, as for example, by dealing orselecting a card, turnin Y a spinner, throwing dice, or by any otherevice involving a suitable element of chance. In the particulararrangement shown two dice X and Y are provided, the die X bearing thenumbers 9, 10 and 11, while the 'die Y bears the numbers 8, 9, 10 and11, these numbers designating yards of distance. Preferably these diceare of different colors, the die X being red, for example, and the die Ywhite. One or the other is used, depending upon the supposed rating ofthe contestants, the red die being slightly more favorable to the runnerthan the white die.

In view of the fact that certain of the lanes are more favorable to therunner than others, the chances of the players, in the long run, aremade more equal by an arrangement of entrance fees which places a higher)IlCG on the more favorable lanes. The chart 10 shown in Fig. 2illustrates a suitable arrangement of entrance fees.

It is determined prior to starting the game whether to play with the redor the white die, the deciding factor being simply the preference-of theplayers and being based on the ability or ratings of the runners who aresupposed to compete. Assuming that the red die is in he used, the playerbacking the runner in lane A pays eight chips, that in lane ll tourchips, etc. The chips may simply consist of disks such as that iudica-edat 12 in (i, or poker chips may he used.

In playing the game the runners and the lanes in which they arerespectively to run may be selected by agreement or by rolling bothdice, the higher throw ha ring first choice. T .0 individual runnersare. represented by markers or checkers, such as that. indicated at 14;in Fig. 5, and they may, if desired, be named for well known sprinters.such as Paddock, Borah, and others. The

players then roll the dice in turn. the player who backs the runner inlane A starting first. Assuming that he uses the red die and the figure11 comes uppermost, he moves the marker 14 on to the eleven yard line.The other player or players roll the dice in turn and move theirrespective markers on to the line corresponding to the respectivefigures which they turn up. Each roll of the dice represents one secondof elapsed time. As suming, for example, that Paddock is running in laneA and Borah in lane B. Williams in lane C and \Vyckoif in lane D, andthe. checker or marker 14 for either Box-ah or \Vyckofi should land online 11 which, as indicated by the foot note is a penalty line in thesetwo lanes, the race would start over and the penalized runner would beset back one yard for jumping the gun.

The players continue to roll the dice in turn and to advance theirrespective runners in accordance with the res ective numbers turned upat each roll, unti at the completion of the eighth turn for each player,indicating eight seconds of elapsed, time Paddock might be found in laneA on line 84, Borah in lane B on line 82, Williams in lane C on line 83,and Wyckofi in lane D on line 79. The die is again rolled for Paddock inlane A, and assuming that he gets 11 for his ninth turn or ninth secondof elapsed time, this would place him on line 95. If Borah gets 10 forhis ninth turn he is placed on line 92. Williams getting a 9 places himon line 92, while Wyckofi' getting, say, an 8, places him on line 87,which woud not bring him into the home stretch. He requires anotherturn, therefore, and if we assume that he gets 11 on a this turn hewould then be on line 98 in ten turns or ten seconds. The time requiredfor Paddock t0 finish from line 95 is shown on the chart to besix-tenths of a second; that required for Borah to finish from line 92would be seventy-six hundredths of a second; that necessary for Williamsto finish from line 92 is seventy-five hundredths of a second; whilethat given to Vvyckoff to finish from line 98 is thirty-two hundredthsof a second. Conse' quently, the time made by each of the runners is.Paddock 9.6 seconds, Borah 9.76 seconds, lVilliams 9.75 seconds, and dyckoli' 10.32 seconds. The player hacking Paddock. therefore, would bethe winner and. take all the chips or entrance fees put up for thisparticular race.

In order to facilitate keeping the score. score cards like that. shownat in Fig. 3 maybe used, a check mark being placed under each numberedturn as the dice is rolled for each individual player. in other respectsthe use of the score card will be obvious simlp'y from an inspection ofit.

Any number of runners may he entered in any race, but if more than fourare entered, trial heats will be necessary. For example, with cig trunners entered, two trial heats are ru and the .irst and second placewinh heat qualify for the iianl heat. The winner or" each trial heattakes the chips of the men elin'iinated. The entrance fee of the runnertaking second place in each trial heat is returned to him. in the finalheat the winner takes all the chips.

By properly charting the race course and suitably selecting thedistances and the fractions of time in the home stretch, essentially thesame arrangement may he applied to a. great variety of racing gameswhere time is a factor, such for example, as boat races, horse,automobile, airplane races, and the like.

The charts shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be printed on paper and applied toa suitable board or backer, or they may be supported in any convenientmanner.

While I have herein shown and described a typical embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that this disclosure has been maderather by way of illustration than limitation, and that the inventionmay be embodied in a considerable variety of forms without departingfrom the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

vided and bearing indicia to indicate the time required by a racer tofinish from certain specified points in the home stretch, and a devicefor determining by chance the distance covered by a racer in a giveninterval of time.

3. In a game, a chart having a race course markedthereon, said courseincluding a mam section and a home stretch section, both of saidsections being divided into spaces, and time designations associatedwith the divisions in said home stretch.

4. In a game, a chart having a race course marked thereon, said courseincluding a main section divided into approximately equal spaces, and ahome stretch section divided into substantially equal spaces, distancedesignations associated with the spaces In said main section, and timedesignations associated with the divisions in the home stretch sectionand serving to indicate the time required by a racer to finish fromcertaln specified points in the home stretch.

5. In a game, vachart having a race course marked thereon, said coursebeing divided into lanes each includin a main section and a home stretchsection, hoth of said sections being divided into spaces, anddesignations associated with the divisions in the home stretch sectionand indicating the time reuired by'a racer to finish from certainspeclfied points in the home stretch.

a 6. In a game, a chart having a race course marked thereon, said coursebeing divided into lanes each having divisions for-indicat-.

ing the progress of the racers and a. hpme stretch divided into spaces,and designations associated with said spaces to indicate the timerequired by a racer to finish from certain specified points in the homestretch, the

time designations varying in the different lanes.

7. In a game, a. chart having a. race course marked thereon, said coursebeing divided into lanes, each of said lanes including a. main sectionand a home stretch section, penalties in certain of said lanes, both ofsaid sections of each lane being divided transversely into spaces, anddesignations associated with the divisions in the home stretch sectionsfor indicating the time given the racer to finish from certain specifiedpoints in the home stretch, the time designations varying in differentlanes.

SIDNEY T. FARRELL.

